It's More Than Trust
by LKirk816
Summary: Will Beckett ever forgive Castle? Will she ever trust him enough to work with him again?
1. Chapter 1

It's About More than Trust: Chapter 1

She looked at him with a mix of shock and anger. How could he go against her wishes? She felt as though she was sucker punched. He opened her Mom's file after she said to do so would mean they were through. What could make him hurt her like this? She was just beginning to allow herself to let her guard down with him; to have fun again. Then he told her. She didn't even hear him anymore. Her mind was moving quickly, "leave, and get out of here before he sees you go to pieces." She turns to leave and feels his arm pull her back. "Kate, no, please listen to me. I already sought out a friend's advice on the autopsy when you said to drop it. I was going to just stop things until I could talk to you about this, but he called with information, Kate. Did you hear me? He had new information!" All she heard was herself scream, "No! I meant it when I said that Castle, I can't go back there."

Rick Castle knew he had to say something in the next few seconds that would give him more time, make her reconsider. He begins, "Kate, I trust you with my family, my mother and my daughter. They are my life and what keeps me grounded. I can't imagine anyone taking either of them away from me. I want to help you, Kate. Trust me with your family. Trust me enough to work with me. You would work around the clock until you solved the case if it were for anyone else. Tell me, Kate, would you give up and put it away if it were my Mother? If you knew something new that could help solve my mother's case, would you just walk away? You know the answer Kate. You know you would work tirelessly until you had a clue or a lead that you could work. How can I walk away?"

She looks at him for a long time saying nothing. He whispers, "Trust me Kate. I care about this and I care about you." She nods and walks away.

His chance was gone and so was Kate. He felt lost like someone picked him and placed him in the middle of a dark forest with no way out. He didn't know how long he stood there watching where she went when she walked away, but it felt like forever. He went home knowing Martha would be waiting up to hear how things went with Kate.

Kate entered her apartment and quickly closed the door behind her as if someone might run after her. He didn't. He let her walk out. He is right about trust she thought. "Will I ever be able to trust again?" With trust comes hurt she thought. She trusted that her parents had a solid marriage. That was proven wrong early in her investigation. She trusted that all her mother ever needed was her father and her. She found out differently. She found out that the one person who she thought loved them unconditionally, had a secret life, a life without her or her father. She trusted that her boyfriend Will loved her and she began to think they could be together forever, and then he chose his job and left her reeling as he quickly moved to Boston, MA. She trusted that her job was all that she might ever need to be happy again, and then he came into her life and proved her wrong. He showed her what was missing in her life and now she was having trouble thinking she may never have that fun and childlike happiness again. She would give this some time and see how she felt in the morning.

She was waiting just like he knew she would be when he opened the door. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes." Martha spoke.

"Thanks Mother, good that your life coaching skills are kicking in here", he quipped.

"I call em' how I see em'," she answers. "Is everything all right, Richard?"

"No, mother and I don't think they ever will be again" he says dejectedly.

"I take it she took it badly, huh?"

"That is an understatement, mother. She'll never forgive me, I just know it. We're through, and I can't blame her actually. I'm an idiot."

"Maybe so, kiddo, but a well intentioned idiot."

"Well, at least now that we've had this little chat, I feel so much better, Mother."

Alexis enters. She has been listening to the conversation as she came down the steps.

"Is this about the autopsy results for Det. Beckett's mother, Dad?"

"Yeah, I told her that I had new information, and she told me to take a hike!"

"Take a hike? That doesn't sound like Det. Beckett at all, Dad. Did she really say that?"

"Not in so many words, Alexis, but I knew she thought them."

"Geeze Dad, haven't you learned not to put words in her mouth? You always underestimate her, know that?"

"I don't underestimate Kate Beckett."

"Sure you do, Dad. She isn't fragile. She is independent and driven and any news you give her is not going to break her. Sure it may shock her and cause her pause. But Kate Beckett will get her second wind with the information and she'll be ready to tackle her Mom's case. You better be ready, that's all I have to say!"

Castle leans in to kiss Alexis. He wraps his arms around her and says to all standing in his kitchen, "Now you, kitten should be the life coach." Martha glares at him and says, "Yeah yeah, well you never did pay for the year package anyway!"

Castle responds, "I pay everyday, Mother. I pay everyday!"

Kate is readying for bed. She opens the dresser top drawer to place her gun, watch and necklace in their safe place. She sees her mother's picture. She slowly touches it and the tears begin to fall. "I promise Mother….I will."

(To be continued)


	2. Chapter 2

Castle can't drag his body out of bed. He is laying there replaying the last conversation he had with Beckett. "She did nod her head when I told her I care about her and her Mom's case. I wonder if she really believed me. Maybe she nodded like, "Yeah right, buddy!" In any case, she probably hates me. I wasn't meddling though, was I?"

Alexis hops onto his bed as she says "Good Morning" just little too loudly.

"What's so good about it?" He says

"Well, for one, I made breakfast" Alexis says. "For another, I have a plan for you and Det. Beckket."

"I'm listening," Castle sits up in bed with a pillow behind him now.

"I think flowers are in order, Dad!"

"Flowers? I think I messed up worse than flowers could ever help, honey."

"I think Det. Beckett needs a reminder that you are friends. Fill out the card and I will have them sent to her."

Castle writes: 

_Every family deserves an ending to the story, Kate. _

_I just wanted to help with your Mom's story. _

_See the roses again, Kate, and not just the thorns._

_Trust me._

_Your friend, Rick Castle_

He hands the card to Alexis who grabs her coat and leaves the condo.

Castle feels a bit better and decides it's time to get out of bed. A hot shower will do the trick and a good breakfast. A smile crosses his face when he remembers Alexis made him breakfast.

There is a knock on Kate's apartment door. It's him she thinks. He probably wants to talk. Then she hears, "Delivery!" "Delivery, what did I order?"

She opens the door. The floral delivery man is standing there holding the most beautiful arrangement of 10 red roses and 2 white roses with baby's breath in a beautiful crystal vase. Inside the arrangement is a card. She thanks the delivery man and brings the vase inside. She reaches for the card. As she reads the card from Castle, tears come to her eyes. "_Trust me."_

"It's about more than trust." She whispers.

She places the vase on her coffee table in the middle of her living room. She smiles at how they brighten the room. "Castle even brightens a room when he isn't in it." She shakes her head and a smile begins to form.

How can she not trust this man? He listens to her, really listens to her. He cares what she thinks and feels and always asks if she needs to talk. He treats her as an equal, where Will always took for granted she would follow him. Will had all of the control in their relationship. Castle shares control with her whether it be working a case or playing poker and he called her extraordinary! He always seems to know just what to say to her to inspire or to have her energies re-directed.

He was following his heart when he worked her Mom's file. She knows that about him. He wouldn't hurt her. He has always treated her with dignity and respect, even while flirting. She has never had such a relationship where she didn't have to fight for herself or give in to keep the peace. She can disagree and they talk things through, or she can listen to his reasoning and come to a different conclusion. But no matter how she thought about it, she knew he would never intentionally hurt her.

"_See the roses and not just the thorns." _She has never seen so many roses since meeting Castle. He has shown her how to laugh again and how to tease and play. She smiles more, dreams more, and cares how she looks and feels more. _"Trust me."_

"It is about more than trust, Castle" she says out loud to the room. Trust isn't easy for Kate, but with this man, trust isn't the hard part. Friends have been few and far between for Kate. Her work prevents the time for more than casual relationships. Laney was her closest friend and they met through work but formed a fast bond. Yet even Laney has not been able to penetrate Kate's wall. The subject of her mom's murder has never been a topic she opened up about to anyone, especially Laney.

Yet with Castle, she felt safe enough early on to share this very personal and painful part of her life. Why? What is about him? He makes her feel safe. He listens to her and instead of just her words he hears her heart. He felt her pain when she was telling him about the murder. She saw it on his face. She has never been able to talk about things easily with others. It was always safer to keep things inside of her. When she is with Castle, she can tell him things and speak of her fears so easily. She doesn't hold back anymore. She has trusted him with her story, her vulnerabilities, and he has protected them for her. She can not lose him in her life.

She needs to feel safe even more now with the re-opening of her mother's case. It is about more than trust, it is. It is about her best friend. Yes Castle is her best friend. He cares. No one ever cared enough to help her before him. Will saw it best for Kate to just accept the findings and move on. Move on? Easy to say to someone else, but very hard to do for a loved one that just feels it doesn't make sense. Castle thought like she did about the case. He felt it should be looked at again and he took it to an expert for help.

That is what friends do for each other. They listen, they feel and they fight for them. Castle is fighting for her and for her mom that he never met. She needs to accept his help, thank him for caring enough to get involved, and apologize for her anger. If she is lucky, her best friend will understand. She grabs her keys and head out to talk to him.

Castle sits down to a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon that Alexis made before she left. "Not too bad, cold, but not bad" he says. His hair is still damp from his shower but he does feel a bit better. "I hope Alexis is right about the flowers." He finishes his breakfast and starts to clean up when his buzzer rings. He opens the door to see Kate. "Hi", she says. "Hi yourself" he answers. He reaches his hand out to hers to usher her in to his condo. She takes it and walks inside.

"I had to come over, Castle. I need to say something."

"Ok" Castle swallows hard wondering why all of a sudden his mouth went completely dry.

She looks him in the eye and he sees she is nervous.

"Thank you for the flowers. They really are beautiful."

"I want to help Kate, that's all. I never meant for you to be hurt. But I guess all roses have thorns, so no matter how good my intentions were, you did get hurt. I'm sorry."

"I want an ending too Castle. I want to know. 12 years without knowing is too long. You are a good friend, the best actually. I have never had anyone that wanted to help me before. In fact many people talked me out of continuing to investigate. The more I look at it though, the more things just don't sit right with me. When I told you about her murder, I saw that you didn't believe the official story either. The questions you asked the look when you heard it wasn't a robbery but a supposed gang type random wayward event, told me I was right. If you will work with me, well, if you want to work with me, I know we can figure this out. Rick Castle, will you help me? I trust you, we work great together, and I know you will help me with whatever we dig up. I do trust you; you have never let me down."

Rick is smiling from ear to ear. "You trust me? A beautiful woman trusts me? Hmm that is something new!" They both laugh. "Kate, I never stopped helping you and I won't now. I have resources, you have the knowledge and together we have the determination to see this thing through. We can do it Kate."

"Watch me though, Castle. I can't go back to the pit I was in years ago. It was a dark place and I had to fight hard to move past it."

"Listen, watching you is the easiest assignment going, but seriously. I won't sit and watch you sink, Kate. I am here for you and I am not going anywhere. Trust me."

Kate answers with a smile, "It is about more than trust, Rick. It is about seeing roses again and not the thorns. Did you know you sent ten red roses and 2 white ones by the way?"

"Kate, the ten red roses are for the years since your mother death and the two white ones are for us working together to solve her murder. We're a good team Kate. I trust us."

She moves close to him as he reaches around her waist to pull her close. She lifts her arms around his neck as they hold each close. She moves her head back as she says to him, "I trust us too, Rick." He leans down and kisses her lips as she closes her eyes.

They know there work will start tomorrow, but they are happy that for tonight they have the quiet of his condo and the two of them seal their deal with kisses until they quiet is broken by his family. "Enjoy this, he tells her the condo is never this quiet or peaceful." As if on cue, the door flies open with Martha and Alexis caught up in whirlwind of conversation as they hardly even notice the couple standing in the middle of the room.

They both laugh as they link arm in arm to go see what the fuss is all about.


End file.
